CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sunday May 10

Relief! Henry came to Pemberley for breakfast this morning – Elizabeth had sent a note around to the vicarage inviting him, without telling me. It was just as I walked dejectedly down the stairs, knowing that all was lost, that he came in the door. Involuntarily my eyes lit up and I ran down to meet him, and then all my hopes returned as he grinned speakingly at me, taking my hand to kiss it.

"He gave his consent?" I breathed.

"Of course," replied Henry. "And he was very happy."

Our eyes shone into each other's for a moment, holding hands, and then Elizabeth walked in. "Oh, I am glad to see you here, Mr Wakefield. I presume all went well?"

"Yes," he replied, smiling a little consciously at being caught. "Mr Bennet was very happy to give his consent."

"I almost cannot believe it!" I said happily. "Did he warn you that I am not a suitable wife for a clergyman?"

"No," said Mr Wakefield firmly. "He is a sensible man and I think he knows that I am quite able to decide on my own who is a suitable wife for me."

We went into the breakfast room, and we told Mr Darcy and Georgiana, who were thrilled for us too – good thing, because if they were not, I would have punched it into them.

Church was lovely. All I could think about was that soon I would be sitting up the front, as clergyman's wife. It makes such a nice picture, thinking of me all pretty among the bunches of flowers. And Henry did a lovely sermon on 1 Corinthians 13 – the Love chapter of the Bible, if you didn't know.

We are going to announce the engagement in a few days, when Father and Mama and Mary arrive to see Ernest and Isobel. The only thing I am worried about is what people will think. Everyone knows I am That Girl who flirted with almost every eligible gentleman in the area. But really it is such a small worry compared to everything else I feel.

We are to be married from the Pemberley parish, because Father and Mama plan to stay in Derbyshire for a while. I am glad. If I was married from Longbourn, no one there would know how much I have changed. And Jane and Bingley will have to travel to Derbyshire for the wedding soon, (although they don't know about it yet), which will be in three weeks time, on May 30. Yes, it is a very short time, but I can hardly wait a week, let alone three!

Lydia is not coming, and I am relieved. I don't wish her there to laugh at me marrying a 'stuffy clergyman, for heavens' sake' – I can almost hear her say it. And I couldn't stand making Mr Darcy stand in the same church as Mr Wickham again. Elizabeth told me about all that last night. And I feel ever so guilty that I could have persuaded Lydia not to run off with Wickham if I had tried. But as Lizzy says, these things are in the past now, and there is nothing I can do to change them. Neither she nor Darcy feels any animosity towards me for what happened between Lydia and Wickham, and she says it is not my fault at all. She makes me feel much better.

Mr Wakefield came around for dinner, and we went for a walk in the shrubbery afterwards, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth following a short distance behind as chaperones. "Henry," I asked, "was Father surprised?"

He smiled. "I won't deny that he was a little," he said slowly. "I explained that you had probably changed a lot, and then he shook my hand and said that he was glad, and said that if you loved such a man as I, it proved you had changed for the better."

"That was amiable of him," I said. "And true."

He laughed. "I wouldn't know. Would you have been able to love me a year ago?"

"No," I said frankly. "I was infatuated with redcoats and nothing else would do. Now I have changed."

"Kitty," he said, "why did you not think of me as an eligible suitor until a few days ago?"

I sighed. "I'm not altogether sure," I said slowly. "I suppose the fact that I hadn't quite realised I wasn't so wholly opposed to clergyman as before – have you heard about my cousin Mr Collins? He is a clergyman, and such a pompous, slimy man that he put me quite off men of your order until recently. Henry, he really is horrid! Do you know, he keeps a special handkerchief in his breast pocket for the express purpose of wiping his forehead clean of the sweat which drenches it every few minutes? Are you not disgusted?! But it is not only that ... I know, Henry."

"What do you know?"

"You did not pursue me," I said quietly. "You didn't chase me or flirt with me or anything like that. You were there, but you didn't tell me you were there. I, being rather vapid most of the time, did not think about you because of that. You fascinated me. But you were different to the others. You were unfamiliar."

He looked closely at me. "I think you may be right. Was it a good or a bad thing?"

"Oh, good, definitely good," I said. "You being different is what made me realise I loved you in the end." I smiled.

"Right from the beginning, from the very night I met you at that dinner party here, I saw something in you to love. I thought about you all evening, but I saw that the other men were pursuing you, and I suppose I just wanted to be, and naturally was, different."

"I'm glad you were different," I said sincerely.

He stole a quick look behind us. Darcy and Elizabeth were round the bend in the path and we had a few seconds alone. He grabbed me and kissed me at once, and my head spun, and then he released me just as quickly, and we kept on walking arm in arm. My face was red but I was laughing, and we had a wonderful afternoon. I love him so much. It makes me laugh that a true and proper clergyman can be so fun.

"Did you meet my mother and sister?" I asked curiously, that evening, after we dined and sat socialising in the parlour – Louisa came for dinner, and Mr Winter, Alice and her parents too.

"Yes, I did."

I watched his features carefully, combing them for any sign of disgust or mockery. Of course he showed no signs of either – he is too good and kind – but rather, looked perfectly normal.

"They are very welcoming and kind, both of them."

Well, yes, Mama would be if you are to marry me, Henry, I said to myself. "Did Mary like you? I am sure she did, for she admires clergymen excessively."

"I cannot say whether Mary liked me above the ordinary or not," he said with a grin, "but I liked her. She is quite shy, I think, but not unintelligent."

I smiled. "I'm glad you like her. I used to detest her, but now that I have been writing to her and we've both grown up a little and become more mature, we get along quite well."

"I am glad," he said. "When is it that she and your parents are coming to Derbyshire?"

"They will be here on Wednesday," I said. I paused. "Henry –"

"Yes?"

"Oh, don't worry."

"What is it?"

"No, I feel silly."

"I will not permit any wife of mine to keep things from me," Henry said firmly, but with a twinkle in his eyes and a kiss on my hand that belied his words. "Go on," he prompted.

"Oh, no..."

"Oh yes, tell me!"

"Do you love me?" I asked finally, giving in, unable to hold back a smile.

"Now whatever gave you that idea?" he said, kissing my hand again.

"I like hearing you say it," I coaxed, grinning.

"Kitty, I adore you, and for the rest of my days I will tell you that constantly."

"Ooh, that's nice," I said. "Since we're being so open here, I love you too."

FINIS

Thank you all very much for reading this fanfic. I enjoyed writing it immensely. I got the idea from reading about how Cassandra Austen asked her sister Jane, in a letter, whatever happened to that Bennet girl, Kitty? Jane's reply was that she married a clergyman in Derbyshire.

Thank you so much for the reviews. If any of you are reading this for the second time, you may recognise your own suggestions and corrections in here. I'm very much indebted to you.